It is quite easy to have a conference call go awry. All it needs is a lack of adequate planning. Sure, Conference calls are easy to make, involve less physical effort (through traveling), and save time. However, on the flip side, a conference call that is badly managed will surely be a disaster. Just as in a regular meeting, everybody has to be informed, and everybody must come on time. If you thought reaching a meeting late was bad business etiquette, so is being late for a conference call. After all, it is simply a meeting in a different incarnation.

Moreover, the fact that a conference call does not require the physical presence of every participant in a single room is at once a disadvantage. If you thought controlling people within your reach was a handful, just try doing it from a country away. After all, there is no need for the people to pay attention, and they are likely to get bored because the element of personal touch is not as strong.

It is easy to call this one of the major disadvantages of a conference call and leave it at that. But then, what is the point of a meeting that does not get the participants enthused at all? There are several ways in which one can pep up a conference call. For instance, it helps to give clear instructions to participants before the conference begins. Then, it is necessary not to confuse them by making too many people act as host. It would be a better idea to choose a single host and let him do most of the talking.

Of course, there is no point in having a conference call if it is going to be one-sided. A conference necessitates the participation of the various delegates. The purpose of any conference is to seek some kind of a consensus even among different groups of people. So, it is essential to get each of the delegates to pitch in once the basic presentation has been made.

One way to do this is to have a clear-cut agenda and to communicate this to the conference call delegates beforehand. This would give the delegates some time to prepare, collect their thoughts, form opinions, and enrich the conference call. The fact that it is a call, makes it all the more difficult to grab the attention of the participants. If you happen to be hosting a conference call, make sure that you know exactly how you can make the conference richer and livelier.

I always associate corporate culture with suits and ties in high summer, and with unending business meetings. I always picture these meetings being held in an air-conditioned conference room with a long rectangular table where the delegates are seated, some attentive, others bored, yet others thinking about the lunch hour. One person or two people at a time stand up to give a presentation, complete with graphs, charts, and statistics. Thereafter, there are questions, debates, arguments, and sometimes a conclusion. Finally, everyone files out towards the cafeteria.

Of course, these days, it is no longer necessary to have those really long tables at a conference room, thanks to the development of methods like conference calls and web conferencing. These are used increasingly frequently by corporate organizations to overcome the hurdles put up by time and space.

These days organizations that offer services to facilitate conference calls have been becoming increasingly competitive. And why shouldn't they? As demand for conferencing rises, so too will the supply, and everybody wants to prove that they are the best. So each conference call service provider tries to provide better service. So you can get CDs recording all that took place in the discussion. Also, the person hosting the conference call usually has access to a number of features that may be used to better the conference.

Perhaps I am being old-fashioned when I say that nothing can replace the good old days when every conference delegate was within touching distance. I am not convinced that the personal touch element can be achieved through conference calls. Can a conference call really be a good enough substitute?

Then again, conferencing is quite a cost effective way of getting one's employees together. The organization no longer has to spend as much on travel expenses to get people from far and wide to attend a meeting at a tiny portion of the globe. All it takes is a little expense on the technology involved, a little planning, and a conference call can be conducted with great ease. With a little practice, even those that are not what one might call technologically savvy, will soon be successfully having meetings with people who are continents away.

However, as with the meetings prior to conference calls, one can never really count on having everyone's mind on the job. That more than one mind will be wandering elsewhere, is guaranteed. Even with all our progress, the development of humanoid robots, cloned sheep and so on, we have yet to learn how to go about controlling people's minds.

It hasn't been long since conference calls have virtually evolved as the first choice mode for business communication for corporates. But the savings it brings to each company's balance sheet every year is substantial, which is mostly in the form of saved expenses that otherwise would have spend on frequent business travels and expensive hotel accommodations for its executives. Well, these are the advantages of teleconferencing calls. But how to setup teleconferencing calls? Keep in mind; this is something as important as teleconferencing calls itself and not at all an easy task to perform. In the following paragraphs, we'll see how to setup teleconferencing calls and how the entire thing works.

First thing, a business conference calling only makes sense if the number of participants is three or more. Usually teleconferencing calls are facilitated by dedicated service providers, who offer the service for a fee on a per hour basis. Once the user agrees with their terms and conditions, he/she will be given a toll-free number and a PIN, which is to be distributed among all the participants who are supposed to be a part of the conference call. Also, it is required for the person reserving the service to mention the exact date and timings of setting up the teleconference call or meeting. This time slot booking is usually done in order to avoid a clash of dates, as it is a possibility that more than one customer may demand the same time slots on a particular date.

At the preset date and time, each of the participants can join the online conference call by dialing the toll-free number and authenticating oneself with the given PIN. Once in the conference, each party can talk as much or as long as he/she wants. The entire session of the call will be controlled by the host, and he/she can decide who all should be online and who all must not at a given point of time. In the usual settings, if the host hangs up, the entire teleconference will be terminated. But, alternate options are available so as to continue the call even if the host leaves, but it is optional and that right entirely rests with the person who setup the teleconferencing calls.

“You, Yes you, Stand still Laddie!”

What does the line above (a lyric from Pink Floyd’s classic album The Wall) and anti-social behaviour have in common?

Well the answer lies in the newest crime prevention tool to hit UK streets in the form of Talking CCTV Camera (closed circuit television) systems.

The new Talking CCTV Camera system gives businesses and local authorities the opportunity to take advantage of a simple yet highly effective tool in the fight against crime and anti-social behaviour.

Drunkenness, drinking in the street, shouting abuse at passes by, theft, drug taking, vandalism and assaults are just some of the issues facing business owners, the police and the general public so any system which could prevent this is likely to be welcomed.

So what exactly is Talking CCTV?

Well Talking CCTV allows a central CCTV monitoring station to issue instructions and/or warnings via a loudspeaker system that is easily installed with CCTV cameras. The result being that potential trouble can be averted.

If potential trouble makers are told they are being watched and that police are on their way then issues such as vandalism and assaults could well be averted before they begin.

And whilst there is certain to be concern from some that “Big Brother” is watching the fact is that there are already over 4.2 million CCTV camera’s in the UK alone (one for every 14 people) so this method of security is already common place.

Therefore the new Talking CCTV Camera system which uses modern Two Way Radio technology means there is now a new simple to use, easy to install and wireless solution to tackling anti-social behaviour on the streets of the UK.

Today our world is hung in a very delicate balance between good and evil. Since the start of the new millennium, we have been gripped by a very fearful and powerful force; Fear- itself. It is the general belief that there are people who are fighting to eradicate this fear and those fighting to embed it deeper and deeper in to the human psyche.

Governments around the globe are making efforts to somehow eliminate this element of fear from our daily lives. Whether the attempts are successful or not is yet to be seen. One such step taken to guard the people against not only the more serious dangers, but also the little things like vandalism, unsocial and unruly behaviour is the Talking CCTV camera, predominantly being installed in the United Kingdom. These cameras will not only enable the operators to notice bad or dangerous activities, but will also enable them to speak to the offenders right there and then, in a bid to dissuade them from carrying out their actions.

Like everything else, these cameras will have some positives and a few negatives as well. They are already being used in a few areas of Britain and have, reportedly, helped in checking things like littering, street violence, vandalism against businesses and public properties and have also helped locate a few missing people to the joy of their loved ones. The promoters argue that the Talking CCTV cameras will enable people to breath easy, knowing that not only they, but the prospective offenders are also being watched. They are almost never alone on the streets and someone somewhere is keeping an eye on them and can also help, if the need may arise.

On the other hand, how much intrusion do we really want in our lives? Do we really want to be watched wherever we are and whatever we do?

There are an estimated 4.2 million CCTV cameras working in Britain, which is about 20% of the total number around the world at present. At a ratio of one camera for every fourteen people, you are likely to be caught on tape almost 300 times a day. With people looking at you from far-off places and, as it will be with the talking cameras, shouting orders like walk straight and don’t look back ( which feels more like a scene from a futuristic science fiction movie), would you feel comfortable and safe or will you regard it as a violation of civil liberties?

Even though we all would like to feel protected and the governments, by and large, are trying to do their duty by us, how much and to what degree will this type of surveillance be acceptable and more importantly be effective? That my friends...time will only tell.

"Who drove the getaway car?" the lawyer asks, directing his question to a huge video screen. On the screen is a man, standing trial for being accessory to a bank robbery even though he is hundreds of miles away.

We've seen it work in movies - witnesses providing expert opinion even though they're in a different state - and there's no reason why it can't work in real life. Videoconferencing in court trials is predicted to be the next big thing in the justice system. When it hits town, it will hit hard, and will reshape the landscape of courtrooms everywhere.

Saving Time and Emotions It's easy to understand why technology-savvy courthouses are exploring the option of videoconferencing in court trials. After all, this technology is cost-efficient. Think of how much the state can save if it doesn't have to transport inmates to the halls of justices and back. Additionally, videoconferencing in court trials strengthens the safety of courtroom procedures. This is especially true of high-profile and highly volatile cases that involve emotionally-charged confrontations between the accused and the accuser.

Videoconferencing in court trials also allows defendants to maintain their dignity. The media frequently turns hearings into a circus if these involve celebrities and high-profile individuals. Videoconferencing in court trials saves defendants needless grief from negative media exposure.

Another benefit of using videoconferencing in court trials is time. By eliminating the need for personal appearances in the halls of justice, arraignment procedures can be much shorter and go much quicker. With use of videoconferencing in court trials, there'd be no need to postpone hearings just because the accused is set to undergo surgery, or is in rehab.

Saving Millions The idea that videoconferencing in court trials is feasible took root in U.S courts in the summer of 2006. At the time, court systems nationwide had only begun to realize the huge impact the technology can have on the over-all budget of the justice department. Since then, video conferencing in court trials have gained wide acceptance. In fact, it is used all the time in conducting legal procedures that involve lawyer - client consultations, depositions, police interrogations, and the safe processing of inmates.

Videoconferencing in court trials has enabled the justice department to save millions. As a matter of fact, within the first year of using video conferencing in court trials, the West Virginia Supreme Court saved the state a whopping $30 million in transportation costs.

Ruling in Favor of Videoconferencing Ultimately, videoconferencing in court trials not only opens up a whole new world of judicial enforcement, it also offers a potential solution to many of the most challenging issues surrounding the justice system and the legal profession the world over.

"We've only just begun to scratch the surface in terms of helping this market realize the full potential of the technology for reducing the costs and headaches of travel and boosting productivity," says Ron Goldman, founder of Video TeleCon's i2i Network, one of the tech mavericks who saw the need for technology that could meet lawyers' requirements for in-person communication despite distance and time constraints. Recently, some lawyers in different states have even already explored the use of videoconferencing in court trials to coordinate mass tort suites of national concern, such as those around diet drug, tobacco and asbestos litigation.

Indeed, for as long as videoconferencing in court trials continually proves its usefulness in the portals of court houses in serving justice quickly and without prejudice, it will see action in courtrooms even quicker than the judge can pounds his gavel.